


hold me tight

by cg_lurks (cg_reads), ImagineTheHaus



Series: ITH Holiday Special 2k16 [9]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 16 days to Haus Christmas, M/M, Poindexter Family, anxiety tw, someone hug this boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 10:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9067153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cg_reads/pseuds/cg_lurks, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImagineTheHaus/pseuds/ImagineTheHaus
Summary: Would you guys ever write something about nursey being at dex's house for the holidays and just feeling kind of out of place, but dex and his family doing everything they can to make him comfortable? I know I'm not always the happiest around the holidays even though I love Christmas and I'd love to see a fic about that in some way. (Preferably from nursey's pov?) thank you so much!!





	

Breathe, Nurse, breathe.

Just breathe in, 2-3-4. Out 2-3-4.

Relax, Nurse, chill.

* * *

Derek’s attempts at coaching himself through the clutch of anxiety in his chest is lackluster at best.

The frustration at his inability to just relax brings tears springing behind his closed eyes.

He’s exactly where he always said he wanted to be. He’s with a family that’s huge and warm, bubbling with personalities, all seemingly happy to welcome him into their holiday celebrations. They’re veritably the Weasleys; Mrs. P all but sending him formal adoption papers with her invitation when she found out he’d be alone for the winter holidays – again.

Regardless of the overt welcome, Derek can’t seem to convince himself that it’s genuine. Everything about the Poindexters is so open and honest. Dex’s sisters are pointedly witty, his brothers-in-law hard-working men who laugh loud and refuse to pull punches. He knows, intellectually, that this boisterous group is the last that would tolerate him out of a sense of obligation. They’d be the last to send an invitation in the hopes he’d turn it down.

It’s just that years of formal dinner parties, of “inconvenient, but unavoidable” business trips and “much needed escapes” that had left him in the care of nannies and family friends, were hard to forget.

Though, what did he know of how real families worked? Maybe he’d been invited out of pity. Maybe Dex had flashed those big browns at his mom and asked if he could bring his moody (and lonely) stray home. Maybe –

“So, Bitty’s taking a vote on what pies he’s making for the New Year’s meet-up. Chowder’s on about some banana meringue nonsense. I don’t know. But, I’m reasonably certain we’ve got enough votes behind the cranberry apple streusel to make that happen for sure.”

Dex’s voice is quiet and confidant. He sounds as if they mid conversation - the ones they have in the privacy of the attic, where Derek’s not wealthy or from prep school or trying to chill (because it’s impossible not to be perfectly chill in their lair above the Haus) and Dex isn’t running himself ragged to prove his worth of earn his keep.

Derek latches onto that assurance and tries to follow it back up to the surface, to the light.

“Shitty and Lardo are pretty deadest on a German Chocolate pie, but with almond and macadamia nuts instead of pecan. I’ve never heard of it, but Lardo called it a spiritual experience and Shitty a sexual one. So…..I’m pretty sure it’ll be good. The gang wants your vote though.”

Grounded.

That’s what they call folks like Dex.

Tethered so solidly to what’s real and what’s good that they don’t get pulled as deeply under the surface that they get lost.

“I’m sorry,” Derek says.

“My family’s huge. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. I’m sorry for leaving you to the wolves for so long.”

Derek shakes his head, finally able to open his eyes.

“No, man, your family’s - I wasn’t overwhelmed.” He swallows, staring ahead at the doorway on the other side of the hall that’s marked up with the past heights of Dex and his sisters and the current heights of his little nieces.

“I just don’t want to be an inconvenience,” he squeezes out.

He’s been working to be more honest about himself to himself and Dex at least. And well, Ransom and Holster because they’d earned it after breaking up all the fights he and Dex had gotten into. It’s helped. Even when it’s terrified him.

“Nurse,” Dex knocks his shoulder into Derek’s. “Nurse, my mom told me I wasn’t allowed to come home if I didn’t bring you with me. My sisters have been dying to talk fashion with you and my brothers-in-law are determined to fleece you for as much as they can at the poker table tonight. Seriously. I’m pretty sure they were looking forward to see you again more than they were me.”

“Will, bro, chill.” Dex huffs a laugh, and doesn’t that show how far they’ve come. “Your nieces were so thrilled to see you again. You’re the ‘best storyteller’ apparently. And your mom - totally stayed up past 1'o'clock last night helping her prep all your favorites. All she wanted to talk about was how you were doing at school. Your family loves you.”

“Well, they like you, too, Nurse. You’d know if they didn’t.”

And - Derek smirks thinking of Dex’s sisters - yeah, that’s probably true.

“Come on, Mom’s just about to break out the desserts.” Dex pushes himself off the floor and extends Derek a hand.

Nursey hangs on. Tight.

**Author's Note:**

> We are always accepting new prompts at our [tumblr](https://imaginethehaus.tumblr.com) account, so feel free to drop by with a little headcanon or ask.


End file.
